90k miles 2001 FZ1...should i buy ?

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avf

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The bike looks to be in good condition except new seals required on the fronk forks. The bike has 90,000 miles on it with 2 owners. Its selling for $1300. I wonder if its worth buying. I will put at the most about 2-3k miles on per year.

What could be the issues I should look for before making the decision. I am looking to get it tomo if possible. Thanks for the advice
 
Has the engine ever been worked on? With that kind of mileage the engine may require a rebuild so factor that into the cost. If you can afford it buy a lower mileage FZ1. Spending a little more may prevent a headache down the road.
 
The fz1 is more than capable of going over 100k with proper maintence. If it was well taken care of then I wouldn't see a problem with it. The price should reflec the high mileage though.
 
With that kinda mileage, Id say that you are in the "drivers seat" as far as the price goes. Ive had bikes with that type of mileage - its no problem, uaually.
Check for play on the usual items (wheel, swingarm, stem bearings).

Good Luck.
 
Thanks a lot for the quik replies. Best forum ever.

I can get it for $1200 I guess not lower. The reason I looked at it was coz it was parked for sale while I was driving by. The owner has 2 more bikes so I guess hes maintained it. I will be test driving it tomorrow. I will ask if the engine has been worked on before.
 
Ask for service record especially valve work. They should be checked every 24k I believe. If that was done along with regulate oil changes it should be good for another 90k. just ride it and listen to it check the clutch brakes and chain the normal wear and tear stuff. If its all keep in good shape then that's a good sign. The price doesn't seem to high. Hopefully someone else gives you a better idea on price.
 
Do not assume any maintenance was done, let alone competent maintenance. When I bought my 2006 the first thing I did was change fluids. Got 5 quarts of oil out of it and some brown/black coolant. I should have looked more closely and not assumed the maintenance was proper on the bike just because it was "clean".

All is good now, but I don't know if any permanent damage has been done.

I would also see if you can get a quote on an engine rebuild from your shop, just so you can more accurately factor that into the price since it is possible it will be needed soon.
 
^ what he said. I bought my truck and didnt check it over close enough it was really clean. Turns out it had been abused bad. Probems from day one, literally. Its been 3 years now and its finally been trouble free for about 8 months.
 
This is a lot of miles no matter how you cut it. Yes, the engine should go for a lot more miles, but there are other things to consider such as various bearings, brakes, starter motor, charging system, etc. It's all part of the package so don't just look at the engine in a vacuum. Personally, unless you are a tinkerer and like to do your own wrenching I'd look for something with less mileage. If you can't afford it delay your purchase and save up more money.
 
SweetZombieJesus said:
Do not assume any maintenance was done, let alone competent maintenance. When I bought my 2006 the first thing I did was change fluids. Got 5 quarts of oil out of it and some brown/black coolant. I should have looked more closely and not assumed the maintenance was proper on the bike just because it was "clean".

All is good now, but I don't know if any permanent damage has been done.

I would also see if you can get a quote on an engine rebuild from your shop, just so you can more accurately factor that into the price since it is possible it will be needed soon.
Click to expand...

How did you get 5 quarts out when it only takes 3 to fill her up? That's amazing if they figured out how to stuff that much extra oil in there.
 
Whenever I buy a used vehicle, I assume that I will have to replace all the "consumables". That means all fluids, battery, tires, brake pads. ir filter. That is, unless the PO can prove that said items were recently dealt with.

A major thing with some people is the "car" mentality. They look at the tires, see enough tread and think that they are good. MC tires are different. They probably have some age, given that he has "2 more bikes", he may not put much annual mileage on this one, If the tires are more than 3-4 yrs old, replace them.

If your happy with that price, go for it. I would take less cash with me and tell him that # is my bottom line. If he says $1200, Id bet that $1k would get it.
 
terdog said:
Whenever I buy a used vehicle, I assume that I will have to replace all the "consumables". That means all fluids, battery, tires, brake pads. ir filter. That is, unless the PO can prove that said items were recently dealt with.

A major thing with some people is the "car" mentality. They look at the tires, see enough tread and think that they are good. MC tires are different. They probably have some age, given that he has "2 more bikes", he may not put much annual mileage on this one, If the tires are more than 3-4 yrs old, replace them.

If your happy with that price, go for it. I would take less cash with me and tell him that # is my bottom line. If he says $1200, Id bet that $1k would get it.
Click to expand...

This man speaks the truth. I have never purchased a used motorcycle that hasn't needed most of the major consumables replaced right away or very soon. People simply do not maintain their vehicles, fact. I'm amazed at how many bikes I see with nasty brake fluid, leaky forks, ancient tires and ruined chains. It just gives you room to negotiate :)

loosenut said:
I say buy it and ride it. It is worth nearly that much parted out.
Click to expand...

+1

Worst case you have to replace the motor & they're $500 on eBay :Rockon:
 
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Well as always check everything like in a usual service, if the forks are already leaking there might be more maintenance needed.

In general 90k miles is not too much for the Fz1 but all depends how it was maintained, oil changes are not the only thing but proper adjustment and timely replacement of all worn out parts is very important.

Short list to check:

- All Frame and engine parts for abrasion
- Brake pad and disc (90k first disc?) thickness
- All fluid levels
- Any leaks at the engine (valve cover, head, oil pan, coolant system)
- Forks for signs of wear and abrasion
- Steering bearing, swingarm and wheel bearings for play or wear sign (smooth operation)
- Steering stop deformed? (Repaired high impact crash)
- Chain slack and chain + sprocket wear
- Tire pressure (tells you something about maintenance attitude)
- Tire age and thread
- All levers without abrasion
- All levers (foot and hand) lubricated?
- All lights work properly (head: high and low beam, flashers rear light, brake light (front and rear brake activation)
- Battery voltage
- Read out error codes (not sure the Gen I has this feature)
- Anywhere rust, broken screw or bolt heads?

Well that is not a comprehensive list and there are more things to go over.

It takes time to check all this, whenever the owner does not let you take your time he usually tries to hide something. With high mileage bikes there are certain things which have to be ckecked when riding (clutch, engine pull, ect) which are not easy to describe and here you would need a reference from a flawless bike of the same model.

In case you do not know MC well bring it to a shop for a look through. That might cost 100$ or even a bit more but might be the better solution.

Other than that the price is good.
 
Finally got the bike. Another person came along and bid $1500 and we decided to not overbid but flipped a coin. I won.

Quick note on the feeling about riding it. I feel it needs to be still in overdrive while in 6th gear.
 
Couple of points I noted already.

The bike feels like its in the 5th gear but its in 6th...is that how they are geared

The bike somehow feels it lags just a bit when i yank the throttle open ... anyway i could easily adjust the airmixture ?

the bike engine brakes quite a bit as soon as I release the throttle it will slow and not cruise. Is that normal for this bike ?

Thanks a ton again this forum has been the best in the number of responses and quality within the short time. This is an impulse buy and if I get 5k-6k riding from this one I dont mind the price paid.
 
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